Is your workout standing in the way of your weight loss goals? Though diet and exercise might go together like Batman and Robin, I have shocking news for you. Despite everything you’ve ever heard or read, one inconvenient truth remains. Physical activity is not always associated with weight loss. While exercise certainly does burn calories and can help with creating that calorie deficit, breaking a sweat is no guarantee that the scale will move. Why is that, you ask? Today I’m sharing with you some of the sneaky ways your workout might be hindering your weight loss goals. We’ll take a look at 7 common workout blunders and more importantly, what you can do to get the most out of your sweat sessions–whether you’re under the bar or on the scale.

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You’re burning less than you think.

When it comes down to it, many people greatly overestimate just how many calories they’re burning during exercise. Whether relying on machine readouts or overly optimistic calculators, they assume that their workouts must be churning through the maximum number of calories. As a result, they bump up their caloric intake and end up eating too much to make weight loss possible.

So let’s look at an example to see how this might play out. As a little thought experiment, let’s imagine that you’ve just slogged it out on the treadmill for 3 miles. You really pushed it and finished that 5k like a champ. How many calories did you burn? Depending on your size and conditioning, your run likely burned anywhere from 240-450 calories.

Since you totally slayed that run, you assume that you burned 450+ calories and adjust your diet plan accordingly. But in reality? Let’s say you actually burned the lesser amount. When mistakes like this are made repeatedly over time, any accrued calorie deficits will soon vanish and the scale will come to a dreadful standstill. Though you think you’re creating a 500 calorie deficit and should be losing a pound per week, you’re really only burning half that amount and the scale proves it. Most people simply are not burning as many calories as they think they are.

I find that in most cases, it’s best to base a meal plan on your typical activity throughout the day and then allow the calories burned from workouts to be icing on the cake. While I might shift calories around to ensure adequate nutrition to fuel and recover from workouts, most people do not need loads of extra calories for training bouts lasting less than an hour. If anything is needed, an extra snack will usually suffice.

You reward yourself with extra food after a workout.

The second workout blunder to watch out for is the reward mentality that dieters can fall into after a sweat session. You think to yourself, Man! I killed it in that cycling class today! I totally earned this brownie! Afterall, I’ve been soooooo good today.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for the occasional treat and they can even be worked into your eating plan. But chasing your gym class workout with a Snickers bar will negate those burned calories in the 60 seconds it takes to eat it. If you want to indulge in a treat, by all means work it into your meal plan and enjoy! Just don’t fall into the pattern of ‘rewarding’ a workout with extra goodies only to wind up blowing your calorie budget and hindering your goals.

You’re adding unnecessary sports drinks, bars, etc.

There’s just something about hitting the gym that makes people think they need whatever’s being sold at the snack bar. Smoothies, shakes, bowls, bars–the options can be endless! And while there is certainly a good use for many of these, most folks just don’t need them. These gym counter goodies usually end up being extra calories that negate whatever you just burned on the cycling deck.

So when should you consider snagging something from the snack bar? Here are a few situations where I’d recommend stopping by:

• You’re about to work out and it’s been a few hours since you’ve eaten (grab a piece of fruit or a low-fat yogurt!)
• You’ve planned an exceptionally long workout or back-to-back classes (grab a sports drink!)
• It’ll be a few hours before you get the chance to eat something after your workout (grab a small smoothie made with fruit and protein powder!)

The bottom line here is to watch out for extra calories that you don’t need and to pay attention to your calorie budget. If you do choose to fuel up at the gym, just be sure to choose wisely and work it into your meal plan.

You’re not lifting.

When it comes to weight loss, a lot of people think cardio, cardio, cardio! And while cardiovascular exercise certainly does burn calories, you are really missing out if you are not incorporating strength training into your routine.

Being stronger makes you better at pretty much everything, from running a 10k to loading groceries into your car. It improves your health and lengthens your life–but that’s not all! Strength training has an important role in weight loss as well!

Though weight lifting might not burn as many calories as a high-intensity cardio session, the calorie burn doesn’t end when you rack the weights. Because strength training involves a process of recovery, muscle growth, and adaptation, you can expect an increase in your metabolic rate into the next day and beyond! Call it weight training’s after burn effect.

Another benefit to focusing on strength? As your body responds to training and gets stronger, you will increase your lean muscle mass. This is a huge plus for anyone who has lost weight (and as a result, some amount of muscle) or who is getting older and seeing the decline in muscle that can come with age. Muscle is a metabolically active tissue–even at rest–and increases can help to stave off the effects of weight loss and aging.

So if you’ve been trying to lose weight and just aren’t seeing results, consider adding a solid strength training routine to your strategy!

You’re not pushing yourself.

One of the benefits of working out is that, with a happy mixture of training, nutrition, and rest, our bodies get stronger and better over time. We don’t stay the same–we adapt in order to meet the challenge and rise to greet the next one.

This also means we get more efficient. That workout that totally killed you a few weeks ago is so much easier today. The thought of running a single mile seemed impossible before, but now you’re thinking of signing up for a 5k. Your body gets better at what you make it do.

So let me ask you something. These days when you lace up and get after your workouts, where is your head at? Do you zone out and let your mind wander? Or does your workout demand your focus and attention? Whether you’re hitting the gym or hitting the trail, if you can do your workout on autopilot it is time to take it to the next level.

If you’ve been working out consistently and the scale is no longer moving, you have double the reasons to push your training sessions. Climb higher, bike farther, run faster, lift heavier. Challenge yourself each and every time you lace up and you’ll be blown away by the changes–both in your fitness and your physique!

You’ve been doing the same workout for months.

If it’s been a number of weeks (or months!) since you switched up your routine, it’s time to get a refresh. Remember what I was just saying about efficiency and all that? Well you can bet if you’ve been logging the same workout week after week, your body is now a well-oiled machine and can grind that session out with much less difficulty than before. Your muscles remember the movements and have gotten better at doing them–a phenomenon appropriately termed ‘muscle memory.’

This is good right? Most definitely. But resting on your laurels isn’t going to give you results–either under the bar or on the scale. If you want to maximize that calorie burn, don’t get too cozy in your routine. Pick a new group exercise class. Add a fartlek to your run (yeah, that’s a real thing). Get with a strength coach and start training. Find ways to challenge your body in new ways. Not only will you burn more calories, but you might just find your next favorite workout!

You work out…and then take the elevator.

When it comes to physical activity, there are two main categories. There’s the purposeful exercise you do to get your heart rate up and break a sweat–the training you do to get stronger, faster, and better at your favorite activities. Then there’s what we call ‘incidental activity,’ the activity you get throughout the course of the day. It’s all those little things you do from running errands and chasing kids to mowing the lawn and taking the stairs. Ultimately, it’s the combination of your purposeful and incidental activity along with your basal metabolic rate and digestion that make up your daily total energy expenditure.

When you go out of your way to work out everyday, it can be so tempting to let incidental activity go by the wayside. You feel like you’ve checked that box so why bother taking the stairs? But it’s this mentality that can cost you results on the scale. While it’s great that you’re making a point to exercise, 45 minutes on the elliptical simply won’t compensate for an otherwise sedentary lifestyle!

Seek movement every opportunity you get! You’ve heard the list before but it bears repeating. To sneak in extra activity throughout the day, make a point to:

• park further away from the office, grocery store, etc.
• get outside when you’re on break and take a stroll
• take the stairs instead of the elevator
• go on a bike ride with the kids
• take the dog for an extra walk
• do calisthenics during the commercials
• try a yoga video before bedtime
• wash the car by hand
• organize the garage
• do some yard work
• deep clean the house

An active lifestyle isn’t just about logging a sweat session 4-5 times per week. It’s about finding ways to bring movement into your day-to-day routine and get up off your assets. To put it simply–move it and lose it!

Benefits Beyond Weight Loss

I’d like to emphasize that the benefits of exercise extend far beyond weight loss. The health benefits of regular physical activity simply cannot be understated. For this reason, I believe it is essential to establish fitness as a goal in its own right.

Too often I have seen fitness get chucked out the window when a person has reached (or given up on) their weight loss goal. I get it. It’s tough squeezing workouts into an already overfull schedule and maybe you don’t really like exercise…yet. But I promise you, the benefits of exercise–for today and tomorrow–are very much worth breaking a sweat for. Not convinced? Just look at this list of known ailments and conditions that are either prevented or improved with regular physical activity!

• Cancer
• Heart disease
• High blood pressure (hypertension)
• High cholesterol (hypercholesterolemia/dyslipidemia)
• Type 2 diabetes
• Osteoporosis
• Sarcopenia (muscle wasting)
• Constipation
• Stress and anxiety
• Depression
• and so many more!

To date, studies have found FORTY chronic diseases and illnesses that can be prevented or delayed with regular exercise! So regardless of whether you’re trying to lose weight, don’t lose out on the incredible benefits of getting active! Keep pushing yourself, watch out for these workout blunders, and soon you’ll reap the benefits both for your waistline and your health.

P.S. Want to learn more about how to overcome a weight loss plateau? Check out this post!

References

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Lazzer S, Boirie Y, Montaurier C, Vernet J, Meyer M, Vermorel M. A weight reduction program preserves fat-free mass but not metabolic rate in obese adolescents. Obes Res. 2004 Feb;12(2):233-40.

Lemmer JT, Ivey FM, Ryan AS, Martel GF, Hurlbut DE, Metter JE, Fozard JL, Fleg JL, Hurley BF. Effect of strength training on resting metabolic rate and physical activity: age and gender comparisons. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2001 Apr;33(4):532-41

Warburton DER, Nicol CW, and Bredin SSD. Health Benefits of Physical Activity: The Evidence. CMAJ. 2006 Mar 14; 174(6): 801–809.